This invention is directed to a self-contained illuminator, including battery, switch and lamp for direct attachment to the illumination nipple on an examination telescope to provide the necessary illumination without external electrical or optical connections.
Examination telescopes are well-known and are widely available. Examination telescopes are often employed in visual study of an area which is otherwise inaccessible to view.
Such telescopes are in the form of a long, thin tube with an objective lens at the forward end and an eyepiece at the rear end. Intermediate optics permit the physician to see the view out of the objective lens. Often, the objective lens is prismatic to provide an oblique view off of the axis of the telescope tube.
In order to illuminate the field of view, such telescopes have a fiber optic bundle therein which extends from adjacent the eyepiece to adjacent the objective lens. The optical fibers terminate in a nipple on the side of the telescope adjacent the eyepiece. Illumination supplied to this nipple passes through the fiber optic bundle and illuminates the field of view. Conventionally, the illumination is supplied by a light box set on the floor. A lamp in the light box is supplied by the building power supply. The light from the lamp is cooled and is supplied to a bundle of optical fibers in a cable. This cable terminates in a connector which attaches to the nipple on the side of the telescope. In this way, illumination is provided to the field of view of the telescope. The cumbersome size of the light box and the limited length of the fiber optic supply cable seriously limit the physician in his maneuverability of the telescope. A more independent, flexible and portable system would be helpful to the physician in his use of the telescope.